Teachers for Global Classrooms

Friday, March 4, 2016

Are you a US teacher who wants to connect your students to the world beyond a classroom? Do you want to experience new cultures and incorporate them into your teaching? Do you want to join an extensive network of teachers who are committed to global education?

Since 2011, teachers from across the United States have been participating in this unique program that offers an online global education course, a global education symposium in Washington, DC, an international field experience to one of six countries across the globe, and the opportunity to create a global education resource for their local community through a capstone project.

“I'm so appreciative to see things from a non-western perspective,” addsRobert Lurie, a social studies teacher from Lansing, Michiganabout his trip to India. “Prior to this, lots of times you just had what you have in a textbook, and it’s not the same as being there. So I really think my teaching abilities will be greatly enhanced, and also those of my colleagues, who I can go back and share things with over the next two, three or four years.”

But TGC isn’t just about teachers’ learning and experiences; it’s also about bringing the world back to their classrooms. No one knows this better thanSandra Brown, a language arts teacher in Hollywood, Florida. “I have to make every effort to help my students expand their global outlook,” Brown explains. She plans to begin infusing global issues into her own lesson plans, using her students’ own diversity as a starting point.

Eligible participants for the program will be selected through a national open competition. IREX isaccepting applicationsfor the 2016-2017 program throughMarch 17, 2016.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Are you a US teacher who wants to connect your students to the world beyond a classroom? Do you want to experience new cultures and incorporate them into your teaching? Do you want to join an extensive network of teachers who are committed to global education?

Since 2011, teachers from across the United States have been participating in this unique program that offers an online global education course, a global education symposium in Washington, DC, an international field experience to one of six countries across the globe, and the opportunity to create a global education resource for their local community through a capstone project.

“I'm so appreciative to see things from a non-western perspective,” addsRobert Lurie, a social studies teacher from Lansing, Michiganabout his trip to India. “Prior to this, lots of times you just had what you have in a textbook, and it’s not the same as being there. So I really think my teaching abilities will be greatly enhanced, and also those of my colleagues, who I can go back and share things with over the next two, three or four years.”

But TGC isn’t just about teachers’ learning and experiences; it’s also about bringing the world back to their classrooms. No one knows this better thanSandra Brown, a language arts teacher in Hollywood, Florida. “I have to make every effort to help my students expand their global outlook,” Brown explains. She plans to begin infusing global issues into her own lesson plans, using her students’ own diversity as a starting point.

Eligible participants for the program will be selected through a national open competition. IREX isaccepting applicationsfor the 2016-2017 program throughMarch 17, 2016.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Grants for #GlobalEd

As a part of the U.S. Department of Education and Department of State's International Education Week 2015, the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program hosted a webinar featuring the experiences of three program alumni: Noah Zeichner, Kim Young, and Carrie Foster. Noah Zeichner is a social studies teacher at Chief Sealth International School in Seattle, Washington. He was a 2011-2012 participant in Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC), and traveled to Brazil in July 2012. He currently works in a hybrid role, teaching and spending part of his day supporting international education in Seattle Public Schools. Noah was honored with the 2013-2014 World Affairs Council World Educator Award and was among 50 finalists for the 2015 Global Teacher Prize.

Kim Young teaches World History at Weston High School in Weston, Massachusetts. She traveled to Chennai in India as a part of the TGC program. Kim has continued to grow as a global educator by participating in teacher travel and developing student exchanges.

Each of these fellows was awarded funding from the U.S. Teacher Alumni Grant Program for their classroom projects and other initiatives at the school, state, and regional levels.

From 2011-2014, Noah coordinated World Water Week, a student-led, school-wide festival. In 2015, he and his students organized the inaugural Washington State Global Issues Network Conference. The student-facilitated conference tackled some of the world's biggest challenges.

After visiting Japan and the Philippines, Carrie realized she was missing knowledge of non-US and non-European perspectives during World War II. Carrie has used grant funding to purchase texts for her students to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of WWII.

"As far as the benefit to my classroom....my curriculum is different, my kids are taking action, and I find they are much more inspired and motivated...they are doing things to learn about their world. My experience with TGC and learning about global education has changed my community…my whole school, and the way I teach."

Friday, October 30, 2015

This month seventeen U.S. Teacher Alumni presented at the Global
Education Forum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These teacher leaders came from
all around the United States to share their expertise on technology, best
instructional practices, curriculum reform, and student learning for global
education.

Karen Lieneke (AZ) and Meg Riley (AZ) facilitated a session
around the increasingly diverse linguistic and cultural environment in U.S.
schools. They worked with teachers to build skills and awareness for better
teaching practices in evolving school demographics. Jorge Lopez (CA) and Jennice McCafferty-Wright (MO)
presented on the role of Critical Media to teach global issues in a
culturally-responsive framework. They use hip hop, street art, and other
popular media to engage their students as global citizens.
Seth Brady (IL), Lou Kindschi (WI), and Jon Pazol (IL) are
currently developing global certificate programs in their respective states.
Their presentation “How Teachers as Policy Makers for Global Education and
Advocates for Systemic Change: Establishing Global Scholars Certificates” provided
a space for participants to discuss challenges and successes around issues of access,
equity, and opportunity as global education teacher leaders.

Jennifer-Chavez Miller (NM) is developing a year-long,
globally-focused program of study at her school. She recently traveled to
Finland to study their education system and learn best practices in global
education. Using her experience in New Mexico and Finland Jennifer worked with
teachers to create global learning mission statements that set the foundation
for more purposeful instruction in global education.

John Clark (FL) led a discussion to find the best practices
for incorporating international experiences into instruction and engaging
students as global citizens. Steve Weissburg (NY) and Kirstin Bullington (SC) facilitated
a session on the best practices and lessons learned in global collaborative projects
in math, science, and engineering classes.

Sara Damon (MN) led a discussion providing teachers with
resources and inspiration for student- learning experiences outside of the
classroom. She encouraged teachers to use service-learning opportunities to
enhance the development of global competence.

Sara Krakauer (MA) and Joann Martin (AZ) presented on
student activism and student volunteering at the local and global level. They
led a discussion on motivating students to generate sustainable and effective
solutions to global issues.

Chris Lazarski (WI) presented on technology for building global
classroom connections. Chris used his experience with Twitter as model for
student engagement. His students connect with journalists and students from
around the world in order to increase their knowledge of world affairs and
develop important media literacy skills.

These presentations represent the great work being done
across the United States by U.S. Teacher Alumni of the Teachers for Global
Classrooms Program. Many presenters are winners of alumni grant funding. Seth
Brady is a recipient of two alumni grants to support the development of the
Illinois Global Scholar Certificate; Jennice Wright received an alumni grant to
support her work with pre-service teachers in Missouri and upcoming
presentation at a conference in Morocco.We love supporting our U.S. Teacher Alumni to globalize student learning
and to further develop leadership skills.Apply for a U.S. Teacher Alumni Grant today!

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

The Teachers for Global Classrooms program is proud to
announce the three winners of the TGC Back-to-School Photo Contest! This
contest was a celebration of global education and the beginning of the 2015
school year. We received many great submissions that demonstrate how TGC fellows and alumni empower their students to be agents of change and learn about the world.

Congratulations to all the winners of the photo contest!

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

Tyler Sanders, TGC 2015

Harlem
Children's Zone Promise Academy II Charter

Harlem,
NY

"Here in
Harlem, NY, my 4th grade students were introduced to "Drums From Around
the World" as a part of our first Engineering unit. After studying various
types of drums, how they're built, and why they're an important part of many
cultures, students designed, planned, and then built their own drums! (And then
we definitely played them!)"

MAKING A DIFFERENCE
THROUGH ACTION

Sara Damon, TGC 2011

Stillwater
Junior High School

Location: Stillwater,
MN

"Stillwater Junior High School students participate in a variety of classroom and out-of-school activities designed to raise local awareness and funds to address the global water crisis. These students, along with their peers, participated in a Walk For Water, walking 15 laps on the school track and carrying 2 gallons of water to simulate the walk for water many make on a daily basis. As illustrated on their purple t-shirts, this is our "Lucky 7" year raising funds for "H2O for Life - Water for South Sudan". This year's goal is to reach $70,000 raised!"

GLOBAL EXPLORERS

Jeremy Peterson, TGC 2011

Oconomowoc
High School

Location: Oconomowoc,
WI

"Northern Lakes Regional Academy students recently sent up a helium balloon reaching near 100,000 feet above the surface of the earth. Students programmed a a Raspberry Pi computer, camera, and Arduino measurement probes to investigate atmospheric conditions in the mid-Stratosphere. Students are learning how simple open source hardware and software tools can level the playing field for global citizens to act as scientists and engineers."

HONORABLE MENTION

Stacy Gasteiger, TGC 2015

Selinsgrove
Intermediate School

Location: Lewisburg,
PA

"In Selinsgrove, PA, third graders at Selinsgrove Intermediate School skype with Catriona in Sydney, Australia to learn how her country is different from ours."

TGC Fellows, thank you all for your commitment to your students and your
dedication to promoting global education in your school communities!

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

The U.S. Teachers School Community
Grants Program provides awards of up to $2,500.00 for projects to U.S.
educators who are alumni of the Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC) program or
the U.S. Teacher Exchange component of the Teaching Excellence and Achievement
Program (TEA) and the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP). Grants empower U.S. teacher alumni to infuse
global education into alumni’s classrooms, schools, and communities, and to create
progressive and systemic change in global education at the district and state
levels.

School Community Grants are issued to support projects, materials,
and collaborative activities that will infuse global education into alumni’s
classrooms, schools, or communities.
This award provides up to $2,500 for projects and activities such as
virtual classroom collaborations, curriculum development, community engagement,
or fieldtrips. The U.S. School Community
Grant Program is now accepting proposals.

Strengthen and implement sustained global
collaboration between their classroom and a classroom in another country
through the purchase of shared reading material or small equipment such as a
computer camera.

Build on existing curriculum activities by
providing materials to bring hands-on global context and enhanced learning in
the classroom, such as maps, artifacts, instruments, and other supplementary
materials.

Enhance global curriculum through taking
students on a field trip to local landmark or museum with an international
theme to embed experiential learning.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Back to School with Adrian Antao

Every year at this time teachers and students in the United States are back at school from summer breaks and getting into the rhythm of the school year. As Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellows return to the classroom, they are establishing a framework for education across the country in which they are preparing students to be a part of a global community.

Adrian Antao is an English Teacher at KIPP NYC College Prep High School in Bronx, New York, and is completing his participation in the Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellowship. He came to TGC to better prepare his students to be global citizens.

During Adrian's field experience in Brazil, we sat down with him to talk about his experience in Brazil and how it will impact his teaching in the South Bronx. See our conversation with Adrian, and hear about work to expose his students to the world outside of the Bronx, and to prepare them to be in the "world of ideas".

About TGC

Teachers for Global Classrooms is a year-long professional development program for elementary, middle and secondary teachers in the United States. The program aims to globalize teaching and learning in U.S. classrooms. TGC is a program of the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural affairs, and administered by IREX.
The program begins with an 8-week graduate level online course on globalizing the classroom, followed by a Global Education Symposium in Washington, D.C. The fellows then have a 2-3 week international travel fellowship in one of 6 countries determined by the State Department.
The 2015-2016 TGC cohort is made up of 82 elementary and secondary teachers from across the United States.